


The Flame Within

by orphan_account



Category: Promare (2019), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Promare (2019) Fusion, Anal Sex, Angst, Bad Flirting, Eventual Smut, First Time, Fluff, Inappropriate Use of Burnish Flames, M/M, Mentions of sex work, Minor Character Death, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21595492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lan WangJi is a detective apart of the Freeze Force assigned to the Department of Burnish Crimes, assigned a case related to tracking down the leader of the terrorist gang known as Mad Burnish. With a former Mad Burnish, Wei WuXian, by his side, he dedicates himself to stopping a string of arsonist attacks. However, he finds himself sympathizing with the very people he's supposed to be arresting.
Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	The Flame Within

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is an experiment. I didn't want to get started on a brand new long wip but this kinda happened, lets see how it goes. Enjoy. My general rule about constructive criticism is you must ask first before giving it. I have low mental health so please respect my boundaries. 
> 
> Note, the song playing in the bar scene in the flashback is Camellia's “KillerBeast” or practically anything from Camellia's new album called “Blackmagik Blazing”. If you need to know the music to set the mood for the scene, there you go. That album is straight up lit.

_Lan WangJi was a child when the Burnish first appeared. He remembers the Great World Blaze and the fear everyone lived in of being burned alive. It was his motivation for joining the police force after being a firefighter for two and a half years. The horrors Lan WangJi saw while saving people from the Burnish blazes only fueled a hatred inside him for the Burnish themselves._

_They are dangerous. They are not human if they can commit atrocities such as burning people alive. They must be controlled. After losing his brother and uncle in the Great World Blaze, having watched them burn alive, Lan WangJi is alone and his only purpose is to control and extinguish the Burnish from the world... or so he thought._

…

It all starts with a five-alarm fire in northern Promepolis. People are scattered, trying to escape the blaze in a cacophony of screams and terror. Traffic is cleared by the entire Burning Rescue on duty to respond first to the blaze. Of course, the fire department always responds first. They're closest to the common targets of the Mad Burnish terrorist group; fire research buildings, immigration detention centers meant to scan people for the Burnish flames in their body, etc. This is no different since the Mad Burnish are sophisticated enough to attack when the Freeze Force of the Promepolis Police Department is scattered elsewhere when investigating previous attacks.

Lan WangJi takes a long drink from a water bottle, hydrating his dry throat as the task force he has been assigned to is sent out to respond to the aftermath of the fire. Of course, the Freeze Force is weared out thin due to lack of recruits and the fact that the Mad Burnish seem to attack every other day to throw off their trail and cause terror. Lan WangJi then finishes putting on his flame-retardant attire and loads a freeze gun in case any Mad Burnish are still around when he has to investigate. He is apart of a squad of at least a dozen officers who are of various ranks. Lt. Lan WangJi is the detective assigned to this squad, his job being to study the burn patterns and deduce the Mad Burnish's next move.

“Lieutenant Lan, are you ready?”

Lan WangJi neutrally shifts his gaze to his new partner, a former Mad Burnish named Wei WuXian. The Burnish man doesn't bother dressing in the attire as Lan WangJi since the flames won't hurt him. The Burnish are accustom to the heat, making it useless for him to wear flame retardant. In a few raids previously, the Freeze Force arrested Wei WuXian after he have himself up and then switched sides to be an informant for the department.

“Yes, are you?” It's a stupid question, really. The Burnish man is often ready way before Lan WangJi ever is. With long hair in a rebellious ponytail and soulful gray eyes, Lan WangJi can't help but see the fire that burns inside his partner just by looking at him.

When they first met, Lan WangJi felt sick having to work beside a Burnish person since it was the Burnish flames that incinerated his own family. However, Wei WuXian is oddly different than what he expected of them... enough so to work beside him without hurling racial slurs or losing his temper.

Wei WuXian grins and says, “Let's get going! We need to predict Lio's next move. He attacked a fire research center this time; there must be a reason behind it.”  
  
“Wouldn't you have a better hunch than me?”

“I've told you before; Lio doesn't keep grunts like _me_ informed of why we're attacking these places. He only rallied us to do the job and not ask questions. That's why I'm helping you now. I wanted out.” Wei WuXian sounds a bit bitter explaining that again but Lan WangJi doesn't blame him. It's only natural for Lan WangJi to keep asking as if the Burnish man will reveal he plans to back-stab them in the end but perhaps he should stop being suspicious after two months of the man's help.

Holding his freeze gun close, Lan WangJi hums and announces to the force behind him. “Move out!”

The dozen or so tactically burst out of the van when at the location and Lan WangJi takes lead of his squadrant. The building is dozens of stories, making it difficult to find any clues. As usual, the group scours anything for signs of a calling card or evidence left behind they can use against the Mad Burnish. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack but Lan WangJi uses his training from years of putting out Burnish fires and investigative training to be observant of patterns left behind by the fire scorch marks themselves.

Every Burnish person has a unique burn pattern to their flames. If one studies the scorch marks left behind, they can determine whom has been here and caused to blaze so they can use the evidence in court when convicting the fugitives. Lan WangJi reaches the twelfth floor labeled as 'Burnish Flame Research' when he finds the burn marks he expected to see. Lio Fotia's scorch marks are almost delicate despite the power in his blaze. The Mad Burnish leader is a thorn in Lan WangJi's side and he narrows his eyes as he follows the scorch marks from their focal point to where they lead.

Wei WuXian is close behind and remarks, “Lio, Gueira, and Meis were here, obviously... If they were here, something must have been really important in this department.” The Burnish man lights a blue-green flame in his hand to give them light. It makes Lan WangJi wrinkle his nose uncomfortably. He hates it when Wei WuXian uses his flames around him. “Do you think... the researchers are finding out the reason why people become Burnish? If we could solve that, maybe we can cure people of it so they can become normal again...”

“Does it matter? Burnish have killed so many people that a normal life is never an option for them.” Lan WangJi spits that as he rummages through desks and kicks aside rubbish to get a better trail of where the scorch marks lead.

Wei WuXian pouts and retorts, “I know you hate us but you can't ignore that we Burnish used to be normal humans before the flames took control of us... One of the goals of Mad Burnish is to find a cure. Other than to get freedom and equality for our kind, we desire to be normal humans above anything else.”

“If there is a cure, it won't change what has happened. Burnish kill people. _You_ have killed people. Don't try to argue with me, WuXian.”

“... It was in self-defense, Lieutenant.” Wei WuXian genuinely sounds defeated and when they meet eyes, it's obvious that Wei WuXian wants to explain something and defend his own race's actions. But, there's no ifs, ands, or buts for Lan WangJi's views on the Burnish. They killed his family and many of his friends on the police force. Wei WuXian's fists clench as he admits, “The Mad Burnish forbid killing people aimlessly. They are terrorists; that's why I left. But, you can't deny that we tried to avoid death. Lio makes sure those who cause death are punished... that's why he abandoned me that day. I killed an officer.”

“I know you did. Now, help me find evidence and be useful. Otherwise, you know what will become of you.”

Wei WuXian averts his gaze and nods. The Burnish man is facing life in prison if he doesn't cooperate with the Freeze Force. This is the closest he'll get to redemption... helping Lan WangJi bring down the terrorists.

The two keep searching the building and Lan WangJi finds something peculiar. A new set of scorch marks he dozens recognize. This Burnish is not one he recognizes and might be a breakthrough. Lan WangJi turns to make sure Wei WuXian is nearby and calls to him, “Hey, whose are these?”

Wei WuXian investigates and frowns coldly. The man clenches his fists and answers, “Jiang Cheng. He and I know each other. Lio must have replaced my position with him since he was below me...”

“How do you know each other?”

Wei WuXian is obviously reluctant. He continues to clench his fists and obviously skirts around the truth. “He... was my subordinate. We worked together in torching what Lio asked of us. We only followed instructions. Lio would never tell us why we had to target certain places but I have a theory why this place was targeted.”

“What is your theory?”  
  
“Don't you notice a lack of ashes from paper and missing computers? They must have been collected before the place was torched. Lio did this to cover up that he's hunting for information. But, if there is no ashes or melted plastic, it proves that Cheng was sloppy in his end of the job... or he wants us to find out.”

Lan WangJi is intrigued. Someone inside the Mad Burnish _wants_ them to be discovered? It's better than Lan WangJi's own theory that this was an attempted to silence researchers in the name of 'Burnish rights'. As Wei WuXian moves around some misplaced furniture that didn't burn, he points to a scorch mark and says, “See that burn pattern? Burnish leave messages for others in their scorch marks. I can translate it.”  
  
Lan WangJi takes out a pen and paper and nods. Wei WuXian seems dejected as he reads the message left behind out. “Come home... 1875996.”

“A number?” Lan WangJi jots it down. “What could it mean?”  
  
“No idea.” Wei WuXian is honest in tone.

Humming, Lan WangJi puts away the written down clue and orders, “Finish collecting evidence and we'll go back to the station and brainstorm. We need to solve what the numbers mean.”

“Right...”

It takes an hour but they clear the building and head back to the station. Lan WangJi finds himself remembering when Wei WuXian first joined the squad as an informant... even if he still doesn't exactly like Wei WuXian.

…

_Three months earlier, Lan WangJi was apart of a raid on a confirmed hangout belonging to the Mad Burnish._

_In the seedier areas of Promepolis, the Freeze Force's 16th squadrant of corporals and officers are led by Sergeant Kalpsky to close in on a hidden bar in an underground subway. The subways have been abandoned for years in lieu of a new above ground system. As a result, the criminals and homeless use the abandoned catacombs as a hiding place for shelter._

_Obviously, they can't just charge in so they send in a few undercover officers to investigate before giving the O.K to charge the Mad Burnish. Lan WangJi is chosen as one of the undercover officers since he has a cool personality and can keep calm under pressure. Humans of other criminal organizations also inhabit the bar they're raiding but Lan WangJi is determined the most skilled at spotting the Burnish targets._

_With a small body camera on him, a hidden pistol and freeze gun, and a casual attire, Lan WangJi keeps his anticipation from overwhelming him. He has been waiting for an opportunity to show his training; he has studied the Mad Burnish for months as an intern to the Department of Burnish Crimes and considers himself an expert on the flame patterns and study of the inner workings of the terrorist organization. The corporal is itching for a promotion to be put on the force directly attacking and tracking the Mad Burnish._

_Sergeant Kalpsky holds Lan WangJi's shoulders and stares him in the eyes as he orders, “Don't disappoint me. I know you've wanted this moment since you joined the force. Locate Lio Fotia and any other Burnish. When you're sure you've found them all, report to me through your body cam's mic how many are there. Then, we'll breach.”_

_Lan WangJi nods and swallows nervously. He can't fail. He wants the promotion, even if it means he dies getting it. Lio Fotia is the face of the Burnish and represents the worst of them all... representing those who killed his brother and uncle. The man needs to pay._

_With a pat on the shoulders, Lan WangJi straightens his attire as he descends into the underground. He's wearing a v-neck in a shade of violet with a carnelian red leather jacket with studs, a choker, black jeans, and his long hair is groomed into a bun. It's to make the man in his thirties look younger... not that he already doesn't. He looks like he's still in his mid-twenties, perpetually young like many of the Burnish who no longer age because of the flames inside them. Lan WangJi is no Burnish but he does pride that he looks young a bit since it's garnered him attention he otherwise wouldn't have gotten. It's sad to say that appearances mean more often than your merit, even in the police force._

_Regardless, he finds himself blindly following the walls of the underground by touch. That's how the Burnish navigate it without their flames. A braille-like system using scorch marks guides him towards the bar in the underground and Lan WangJi knows the squadrant is about a dozen or so yards behind him with him in the lead. Only two other officers accompany him, but they aren't seasoned. They seem squirrely, like they expect to be caught for being cops. Lan WangJi almost wishes he was sent in alone, without back-up._

_Soon, pink and lime green light of Burnish flames illuminates a lamp near a secret door to signal the location of the bar their intel picked up. Lan WangJi gets into character; his cover is to play as some harlot prostitute since it's said some of the Burnish in Mad Burnish have a taste for high-class whores. Specifically, men. The other officers beside Lan WangJi aren't anything impressive since it's Lan WangJi's ethereal beauty that landed him this position. It was a job that only a pretty male cop could pull off and of course, Lan WangJi took the offer with the promise of a promotion._

_The other cops beside him go silent as Lan WangJi knocks on the door. A slit in the door opens and a deep male voice asks, “Who are you? Password?” Music comes through the slit in the door, a deep bass soundtrack from an artist Lan WangJi recognizes. Camellia, a Japanese electronic music artist, he recalls._

_Lan WangJi puts on the faux persona and teases through the door, “Come on, honey. I have a customer waiting. Password is 'incandescent'.” Lan WangJi licks his lips and moves in a way that highlights his chest and body. “You wouldn't want to keep Mr. Fotia waiting.”_

_The guard narrows his eyes through the door before closing the slit closes and the door actually opens, revealing the music more loudly inside. “Don't make him wait. Only you get to come in.”_  
  
“Sir, these are the others our customer requested-”  
  
“I'm a good judge for the whores these fuckers like to sleep with and you're the only one up to par. The others can fuck off.”

_Lan WangJi blinks but feels a bit of determination in his soul despite his fellow officers obviously wanting to complain. He stops his fellow officers from making the scene by replying, “Fine. I don't mind giving more than one man a good time.”_

_In Lan WangJi's earpiece, he can hear the sergeant praise, “_ Good, keep them intrigued in you _.”_

_The other officers give Lan WangJi a distressed gaze but he mouths to them, “_ Retreat _.”_

_They hurry off and Lan WangJi turns back to the guard with a smirk. “Thank you.”_

_The guard chuckles as Lan WangJi makes his way inside, as if he's excited to take Lan WangJi for a 'ride' later. Inside, the bar is more like a club. The music consumes the scene lit up by pink and green flames and drinks pour liberally for all who ask. Most of the inhabitants are Burnish, marked by the symbol of the Mad Burnish on their clothes. Bodies grind and sway, making it suffocating for Lan WangJi to find his way through the bar._

_Searching with his gaze, Lan WangJi spots his target and burns with anger. Lio Fotia is seated at the bar with a cocktail on the counter, his lackeys Gueira and Meis beside him in good spirits. It's Gueira who has the taste for high-class prostitutes but Lan WangJi knows that Meis will get jealous and do everything he can to keep Gueira from sleeping with him. However, that's not the issue here. Three Mad Burnish are confirmed here so far. He needs to make a headcount of all that are here before the Freeze Force can conduct the raid._

_Lan WangJi manages to blend in by dancing and it allows him to count the Mad Burnish. Out of three dozen people, there are six Burnish here. A new problem arises because Lan WangJi can feel Lio Fotia's suspicious eyes on him; he's an outsider, of course the Mad Burnish leader would be suspicious. He spots Lio Fotia talking to Gueira and the other man gives a scandalized expression that says it all. Lan WangJi's cover is blown._

_As Lio Fotia's short stature stands up from his seat, Lan WangJi is about to signal to his bodycam the amount of Burnish there before he feels someone grab his wrist. He turns and spots a Burnish he counted before grabbing his wrist with a mischievous smirk._

_The action seems to make Lio Fotia watch curiously so Lan WangJi allows it. He smiles back at the newcomer and asks, “What can I do to help you, sweet cheeks?”_

_The newcomer has gray eyes, a long ponytail, and black leather attire. He wears a red sweater under his leather jacket and has a flirty stance about him. His voice is smooth as he proposes, “You're the cutest thing Gueira has ever brought in this place in awhile. How about we get out of here and go to my place?”_

“ _What's your name?” Lan WangJi plays it cool, allowing this Burnish try to get in his pants with smooth talk._

“ _Call me WuXian. I'm Chinese, yanno. What are you? Korean? Japanese?”_  
  
That's a weird flex, using your race as a pick-up line. Lan WangJi is taken off guard by it and asks, “Why does it matter?” 

“ _I suppose it doesn't.” WuXian shrugs. “I'll be direct. I know you're a cop and Lio is about to burn your ass to ashes if you don't play cool. He might not know but I know a cop when I see one.”_

_Lan WangJi has a hollow feeling build in his chest because he realizes who this is. Wei WuXian, one of the Burnish who was present during the burning of Lan WangJi's childhood home. He keeps calm but a feeling of rage boils inside him. This man might know who killed his uncle and brother. “How do you-”_  
  
“WangJi.” Wei WuXian backs him against a wall and feigns arousal so Lio doesn't get suspicious about Lan WangJi's prostitute backstory. “If you're going to signal the raid, I'll help you out. I want out. You just need to promise me you'll let me come to your side.”  


 _In disbelief and desperate, Lan WangJi takes the opportunity. Wei WuXian has answers and intel he needs. He killed cops before, or at least has been accused of doing so. The rumors are there but he's the only one who can debunk them. Lan WangJi says into his bodycam's mic, “Start the raid, six Burnish, don't kill this Burnish in front of me.”_  
  
All hell breaks loose. Flames burn and the club is destroyed. Lio Fotia escapes along with his lackeys but Lan WangJi doesn't hestitate to arrest Wei WuXian right then for questioning later. The raid is a bust overall but surely, Wei WuXian can help them turn the tide? It's a gamble Lan WangJi will take. 

**Author's Note:**

> My twitter is @promareflame so you can find me there, hope you enjoyed.


End file.
